News

May 2015

Cornwall Business Partnership welcomes the formal start of the dualling of the A30 at Temple

Thelma Sorensen OBE, Chairman of the Cornwall Business Partnership was delighted to take part in the recent Turf Cutting Ceremony, for the start of the dualling of the A30 at Temple, which was led by the Secretary of State for Transport, Patrick McLoughlin MP. The dualling of this stretch of the A30 will dramatically remove one of the major traffic bottle necks in the County and it was a real cause of celebration for all the many people who have worked for so long to bring it about. The Cornwall Business Partnership particularly wishes to acknowledge the commitment of Nigel Blackler, Head of Transport Waste and Economy at Cornwall Council, who has done so much, with the active support of the Council and other campaigning bodies , to achieve this much needed and vital piece of transport infrastructure.

The Cornwall Business Partnership, which has long called for this project, has great hopes that it heralds further improvements to the A30 including the dualling between Carland Cross and Chiverton Roundabout

From the right are Malcom Bell, Head of Visit Cornwall; Kim Conchie Chief Executive , Cornwall Chamber of Commerce; Thelma Sorensen, Chairman Cornwall Business Partnership; Patrick McLoughlin MP, Secretary of State for Transport; Ann Vandemeulen, Cornwall Development Manager, Federation of Small Businesses; Chris Pomfret, Chairman, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership.

February 2013

The CBP is delighted to congratulate one of its members, Julian Crow, Regional Manager, West of England, First Great Western, on being awarded the MBE in the New Years Honours List. It is a richly deserved honour in recognition of the many yearsover which he has made such a tremendous contribution to improving rail services in Cornwall and the wider Westcountry. His influence was particularly valuable in respect of the rail projects that were delivered through the Objective One Programme for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly and the Convergence EU funding Programme and the increased growth of rail travel that has been achieved here, especially on our branch lines, during the current franchise.

SURVEY

Parsons Brinckerhoff has been asked by Cornwall Council to assess the economic impacts of dualling the A30 between Temple and Higher Carblake.

We are asking local businesses how the proposed improvement scheme will impact on their operations.

Your answers to the following questions will help us to assess the economic impacts of the proposed improvement scheme.

The economic benefits will form part of a business case presented to Government who will use the information to help inform an investment decision. All information provided will be confidential, remain anonymous and will be processed in accordance with the Data Protection Act. Responses will be used solely for the purposes of evaluating the economic impacts of the proposed A30 Temple - Higher Carblake improvement scheme.

The survey will take between 10 and 15 minutes to complete. Your time is greatly appreciated and will contribute towards improving the economy.

January 2013

The CBP is pleased to announce another addition to its membership.

Paul Mace, who joined the CBP recently, is responsible for business development for Capita Symonds in Cornwall, and has lived in the county for the last 12 years. Paul has extensive experience of development and project management; has spent a number of years in developing resort and hotel projects overseas, and led the £135 million European funded university capital build programme at The Combined Universities in Cornwall (Tremough Campus), from 2003 to 2011. He is looking forward to contributing to the work of the Partnership.

Capita Symonds is one of the UK’s largest multi-faceted consultancies in property and construction and is a wholly owned division of the Capita Group, the leading provider of integrated support service solutions in this country.

November 2012

The Cornwall Business Partnership welcomes two new members - Andrew May from Cornwall Agri-Food Council and Michael Rabone from the Seafood Restaurant.

Andrew May is a farmer on the Isles of Scilly where he is also a founder director and Chairman of Mainland Marketing Ltd. He is the Chairman of the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group of Companies, Chairman of the Cornwall Agri-food Council and vice-Chairman of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Rural Cornwall Partnership.

Michael Rabone, is the Human Resources Manager for Rick Stein and Jill Stein's The Seafood Restaurant. Michael is a Cornish graduate and has delivered his Padstow-based role since early 2007, previously working as a Personnel Manager in Cornwall for Tesco having participated in their fast-track programme.

Michael is responsible for providing a broad range of HR expertise to a Cornish business that employs up to 400 staff across a range of hospitality and retail businesses. An active member of the local business and employment community, Michael supports youth employment initiatives, local schools and colleges and is a keen advocate of graduate opportunity, working with Unlocking Potential and the Plymouth University Alumni programme.

July 2012

The Cornwall Business Partnership deplores to possibility that the train services between Penzance and London might be reduced from 9 to 6 each day in the new Great Western Franchise. The members consider that the retention of the current service is the absolute minimum which should be considered. Cornwall has made the largest investment, by far, into its local rail network, in the whole Country, over the last few years and this should be recognised by Government when shaping the new Franchise. It should be supporting rail use in the far South West not reducing it. This being the case, the Cornwall Business Partnership has written to the Minister of Transport, Mrs Teresa Villiers MP setting out its views as expressed below

June 2012

New Cornwall Business Partnership Member

The CBP is pleased to welcome a new member

Jane Shipway who sits on BT’s South West Regional Board has joined the CBP. Jane, who lives just outside of Truro and works from home, has worked for BT for over 30 years. In her current role, as a senior audit manager, Jane and her team are responsible for providing assurance over the processes and systems in place to ensure BT delivers excellent customer service. BT is a key employer in the region and Jane advised that a further 42 full-time advisors have recently been recruited at BT’s customer contact centre in Calenick Street, Truro. The new recruits, ranging in age from 16 to mid-50s, come from a wide variety of backgrounds. This latest recruitment follows extensive liaison with organisations, such as Jobcentres and Truro College, to identify a diverse range of applicants. Jane is also a member of the Cornwall Business Leaders for Low Carbon Group and is a Magistrate.

26 May 2011

OBE for Cornwall Business Partnership Chairman

Thelma Sorensen, Chairman of the Cornwall Business Partnership, on the occasion of attending the Investiture at Buckingham Palace , where she was presented with the OBE by Prince Charles. The honour was awarded in recognition of her services to economic regeneration in Cornwall. Thelma said that she was completely overwhelmed at being awarded the OBE and that it had been an absolute privilege to work with so many partners in Cornwall in the area of economic regeneration where her own personal ambition was to help create quality, well paid jobs for the working people in the County

14th October 2010

Congratulations to CBP member Michael Beadel on his recent academic achievement

South West lawyer recognised with top academic accolade

A lawyer working for South West legal firm Stephens Scown has been recognised by King's College London with a top academic accolade in construction law.

Michael Beadel, a partner in the Cornwall Commercial Property Team, has successfully completed the first year of his two year MSc in Construction Law and Dispute Resolution.

He has been awarded the Bickerdike Allen Prize, as the best performing student in his year following the summer examinations.

The course is run within the university by The Centre for Construction Law and Dispute Resolution, which is internationally renowned and attended by construction professionals around the world including architects, surveyors, project managers, civil engineers, solicitors and barristers.

The award is presented at the annual dinner of the Society of Construction Law at the National Liberal Club in London in the autumn.

Commenting on the award, Michael said: "I'm absolutely delighted to be recognised in this way. Having not sat exams for some time, this is a fantastic personal achievement and one of which I am immensely proud. I have specialised in property development over the last 25 years and have become more involved in construction contracts during the course of my work.

"I want to develop my expertise in this area and working with colleagues at Stephens Scown experienced in alternative dispute resolution and litigation, specialist planning and environmental law, it means we're able to offer a more comprehensive package to all our clients."

Michael acts for national, regional and local developers and specialises in the house building sector. He also works within the firm's Corporate Team handling business sales and acquisitions.

CBP Breakfast Briefing proved a popular and informative event

The CBP were delighted to host an extremely well attended Business Breakfast as part of the discussion begun by the Coalition Government which has invited representatives from local authorities and businesses to come together to consider how they may, together, form Local Enterprise Partnerships.

The great interest of the Business Community in this issue was demonstrated by the fact that the event was oversubscribed by an attendance of well over 80 delegates at the newly opened Pool Innovation Centre.

The proceedings began with a welcome from the CBP Chairman, Thelma Sorensen OBE who introduced Carleen Kelemen, Director of the Convergence Partnership Office as MC.

The presentations of Kevin Lavery, the Chief Executive of Cornwall Council and Richard Bayly, Deputy Regional Director for Economy, Growth and Regeneration for the Government Office of the South West, were well received and gave the delegates food for thought about the way forward.

An additional overview of the position of Cornwall Council was given by its Leader, Councillor Alec Robertson.

Contributions, in the form of what businesses in Cornwall consider as priorities for economic growth and what they would be looking for from an LEP, were delivered by a well informed panel consisting of Catherine Mead, Chairman Cornwall Agri Food Council and Director of Cornish Yarg, Mike Reynolds, Ports Operational Director A& P Falmouth, Martin Saint, General Manager of Cornwall Glass and Glazing Ltd and Simon Tregonning, Managing Director of Classic Cottages and Chairman of Visit Cornwall.

There was an understanding that, given our unique position in terms of the Objective One Programme for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, followed by the Convergence Programme, Cornwall has a well recognised record of bringing the private and public sectors together to deliver meaningful change.

The message that came through very clearly from the event was that the Business Community in Cornwall has a very real appetite to be thoroughly involved in the development of a LEP for Cornwall.

Delegates were also mindful of the needs of the wider South West and the need to maintain good links with whatever LEPs are created in the Region to allow Cornwall to directly influence the national government on those issues that affect us all.

The CBP wishes to take this opportunity to thank all those at the Pool Innovation Centre and the Camborne, Pool, Redruth Regeneration Company for making that excellent facility available to us and for the administrative support that helped to ensure that the event was such a success. A special word of thanks in this context goes to Chantelle Roberts of CPR Regeneration.

Note: The proposal for a Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Economic Partnership has been drafted and will be submitted to the Coalition Government by the 6th September. It isanticipated that the Government will issue a White Paper shortly which will be followed in the Autumn by draft legislation.

0835 The Coalition Government Landscape for Business by Richard Bayly, GOSW

0850 The latest position on LEPs (Cornwall Council)

by Kevin Lavery, Chief Executive, Cornwall Council

0910 Q&A session -

Panel - Councillor Alec Robertson, Leader, Cornwall Council

Catherine Mead, Chairman, Cornwall Agri-Food Council, Director

Mike Reynolds, A&P Falmouth, Port Operations Director

Martin Saint, General Manager, Cornwall Glass and Glazing

Simon Tregonning, Chairman, Visit Cornwall Partnership

0950 Summary & Next Steps, Carleen Kelemen

1000 Close

7th July 2010

The CBP has a place at the PM's table

During his recent visit to Cornwall, the Prime Minister met with civic and business leaders from across the county to discuss the future for Cornwall. Chairman, Thelma Sorensen OBE attended on behalf of the CBP. Two other members of the CBP were also in attendance, Lorrie Eathorne-Gibbons, Chairman of the Cornwall region of the Federation of Small Businesses and Carleen Kelemen, Director of the Convergence Partnership Office and Vice-Chairman, Devon and Cornwall, of the Institute of Directors. Thelma, who had the privilege of sitting next to the Prime Minister on the day, said she had felt that the Prime Minister had been very much in the listening mode and had taken on board the concerns and ambitions for Cornwall which had been expressed by those present.

16th May 2010

Pool Innovation Centre

As you can see from the picture, the Pool Innovation Centre (PIC) is now completed. This extremely exciting ERDF Convergence and South West RDA project is, to quote its web-site, “a high quality office building incorporating state of the art ICT and environmental technologies. It is designed to encourage interaction between businesses with a large atrium at its core for formal meetings and conference facilities”.

PIC will be managed by the University of Plymouth in association with Tamar Science Park. It offers new and growing businesses serviced and supported physical accommodation of between 25-90 m2 generally for a fixed three-year period. For those who do not yet have the need for physical premises, the PIC will offer virtual concierge services, handling mail, electronic communications and telephone services for people with home offices or those who operate remotely.

12th April 2010

Cornwall Business Partnership meets with Head of Economic Development at Cornwall Council and acting Chief Executive Office of Cornwall Development Company.

Sandra Rothwell, Head of Economic Development at Cornwall Council addressed the April meeting of the Cornwall Business Partnership (CBP). Sandra gave an update on the current work being undertaken by her team.

Colin Jarvis, Acting CEO of Cornwall Development Company, (CDC) explained the changes that were continuing apace at the company. He also reported on the integration of the Camborne, Pool and Redruth, (CPR) Regeneration team into the CDC on 1 April 2010.

31st March 2010

Chairman attends the official opening of the Augusta-Westland Operational Training Centre at Newquay Cornwall Airport.

This new venture will see a staff of 30 highly skilled pilots and technicians employed to provide specialist training such as search and rescue techniques and policing skills for up to 50 pilots per year. This initiative, worth more than £1 million, has received considerable funding from ERDF, the European Regional Development Fund of the Convergence Programme.

The CBP sees this as an excellent example of the sort of business which will deliver the well paid, highly skilled jobs we want to see developed in Cornwall. It also highlights the commercial benefits which can be attracted to such a superb facility as Newquay Cornwall Airport.